James Cameron teaming with Nat Geo for Titanic doc

National Geographic Channel will be undertaking a major cross-platform initiative to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ill-fated ship, which will include a world premiere documentary featuring the acclaimed Titanic director.

National Geographic Channel (NGC) will be undertaking a major, cross-platform initiative to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which will include a world premiere documentary featuring the director of 1997′s Oscar-winning blockbuster Titanic.

Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron will bring together the director with some of the world’s leading Titanic experts for what the network is calling “the ultimate forensic investigation into the science behind what sank the unsinkable ship on her maiden voyage.” The experts will also examine Cameron’s feature film take on the event, and bring to the fore what technology has revealed about the shipwreck since 1997.

The two-hour film is still in production, and will air on NGC in April, along with another major Titanic-themed production, Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard. The film follows Ballard, part of the team that discovered the wreck in 1985, as he retraces the vessel’s path from its beginnings in a Northern Ireland shipyard to its watery grave, with a focus on preserving the wreck from natural and manmade threats.

“National Geographic Channel is in the unique position of being the only network in the world fortunate enough to partner with arguably the two most respected authorities on the Titanic – the man who found her and has dedicated many years of his distinguished career to protecting her, and the man who, along with transforming the disaster into a Hollywood blockbuster, has also made more than 30 trips to the bottom of the ocean to study her,” said Michael Cascio, executive vice president of programming, National Geographic Channel. “I have no doubt that these films will go down as the definitive documentaries on the subject.”

The National Geographic Society is incorporating the NGC specials as part of a comprehensive multi-platform commemoration of the Titanic anniversary. This will also include an April 2012 cover story in National Geographic magazine, an online Titanic hub created by NationalGeographic.com and NatGeotv.com, assorted apps and games, an original eBook, and more.

“National Geographic is the only institution in the world with the resources to fully honor this important anniversary,” summed up Tim Kelly, president of the National Geographic Society. “We are using every tool at our disposal to produce and distribute content that we know our audiences want. I am particularly excited that our newest Explorer-in-Residence, James Cameron, and our veteran Dr. Bob Ballard both have important projects that will be part of this initiative.”